WASHINGTON, D.C. - JANUARY 21: First lady Michelle Obama walks through the crypt on her way to watch U.S. President Barack Obama be sworn-in for a second term during his public Inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Building January 21, 2013 in Washington, D.C. The President and first lady were joined by daughters Sasha and Malia. (Photo by Molly Riley-Pool/Getty Images)

Michelle Obama (Molly Riley-Pool/Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— First Lady Michelle Obama was scheduled to be at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel Friday morning for a sold-out fundraiser. Former San Francisco Mayor and California State Assembly Speaker Willie Brown joined to weigh in on the First Lady’s California trip.

“She’s a very, very good fundraiser. In fact she may even be more interesting, because she’s so rare, than her husband,” Brown said.

It’s interesting though with these Democrats. One day they’re talking about helping the middle class, then they come into San Francisco and they scoop up $20,000 to $30,000 per head at the high-end restaurants here and only to an elite few.

“This is all about raising a sufficient amount of money to help the many and you can only get it from the rich,” Brown said.

Is this the only time we see the President and his wife, when they come here to fundraise large amounts of money? What happened to the president or the First Lady showing up at a school, a rally or a park or something one on one?

First Lady’s Fundraising Trip To SF

“This is the first time we’ve really had the First Lady at the high end,” Brown explained. “She comes, she goes out to the Hunter’s Point-Bayview Area for the school bit, she goes down to the Valley, and she’s been doing all those First Lady things. Now with the competitiveness of fundraising Republicans, she’s got to come to a place like California and mine for the gold.”

This is not to suggest that President Obama is lacking in his fundraising skills. He’s been around the block more than once, but they do make for a powerful team.

Whether it's politics, personalities or analysis Phil Matier is one of best informed insiders in the Bay Area.
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